Some awesome things can only be explained one way, with one word.
So ask any Scout who's had the experience of "high adventure" at Philmont
Scout Ranch near Cimarron, N.M.,, and he'll explain it as best he can.
"Awesome."
Earlier this summer eight Scouts( including four members of Troop 22
in Early) plus four adult leaders comprised a crew who "made it to the
top" - who went to Philmont.
The Experience was "awesome."
"I go on trips around the world," said Charlie Tongate, "and Philmont
was as good or better than any of those. I want to go back for sure."
The Philmont Scout Ranch is a high adventure base that challenges Scouts
with its more than 214 square miles of rugged backpacking treks, explained
Tully Hair, an adult leader and veteran of several Philmont treks.
"This crew's adventure consisted of 11 days of backpacking," Hair said.
"We cover nearly 70 miles and climbed mountains summits over 11,700 feet."
"We hiked 11 days with just each other and our backpacks," said Tongate.
"Everything we needed, we had to carry. The way it works is, along
the way there are commissaries, and we'd get our supplies and food there.
"U-m-m-m-m, if there was anything I didn't like, it would be the freeze-dried
food. We got pretty tired of that," Tongate said.
The toughest part? Hard to say, too, but Tongate thought it might
have been the last evening on the trail, when the Scouts could see the
base camp, but knew they could't get there until the next day.
Thomas Givan, 16, whose older brothers Wesley and Keith had made several
Philmont treks and also been on staff at the ranch, said he'd have to say
the only negative was the food.
"My brothers talked about how awesome it was to go to Philmont, and
it was awesome for me too. I definitely want to go back," Givan said.
"If I had to pick a favorite time, I'd probably say reaching the top
of Mt. Phillips, which is the highest peak.
"But really, the whole experience, the best way I can describe it is,
it was awesome."